Baseball mask



Nov. 5, 1935. T. s. SHIBE BASEBALL MASK Filed Jan. 11, 1934 2Sheets-She t 1 T/mmasJZJ/libe T. s. SHIBE I BASEBALL MASK Nov. 5, 1935.

Filed Jan. 11, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATS PATENT BASEBALL MASK Application January 11, 1934, Serial No. 706,263

6 Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide a baseball catchers or umpires mask of strong construction, economical of manufacture and light in weight.

The mask is provided with a fabricated metal frame composed of a base plate formed from sheet metal cut to shape and pressed to proper form, and provided with means by which the pads may be attached thereto, and guard bars separately formed and attached to the base plate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front View of the complete mask.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig-4 is a face view of stamped metal frame.

Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view of the frame.

Fig. 6 is a vertical central sectional view of one of the braces.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation on a smaller scale of frame and interchangeable braces.

Fig. 8 is a detail partly sectional View on line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

The ordinary mask made of steel bars weighs approximately 1 lb. 9% ounces. This when worn throughout a game imposes considerable strain upon the player. In producing my invention I have sought to remove this objectionable feature of excessive weight and at the same time maintain the necessary strength of the structure. I have found in my research and experimentation that a mask such as above described made of duralumin, commercially known as l'lST possesses the necessary qualities of tensile strength, resistance to impact, and resilience, and at the same time the weight is reduced to 18 ounces, making a difference in weght as compared with the iron frame of 24% ounces.

In these drawings I is the metallic foundation plate. This is made of duralumin alloy in sheet form.

The foundation plate is out out from the sheet material by suitable dies. It is then pressed up into the shape illustrated. As finally cut and shaped the foundation plate is open at its central portion and recesses 2 occur at the inner edges of the side portions of the plate. Above and below these recesses are inwardly extending projections 3. There is a cross bar portion or chin guard 4 at the lower end of the plate and the upper part of the plate has a cross bar crown portion 5. The plate generally speak ing is of concavo-convex form, the convexity being at the front side. At the lower end of the plate there is a cross portion or inwardly disposed ledge 6 lying substantially at right angles to the main body of the plate at this point.

The foundation plate is provided with means for the attachment thereto of the pads, said means consisting of slots 1 and openings 8 through which the leather straps or other fastenings extend.

The recesses 2 also afford means for holding the pads in place, a portion or extension 8' of 10 said pads lying in the said recesses. These recesses also enable the portions of the pads lying on opposite sides of the central open space of the mask to be drawn laterally away from each other by the attaching harness to enlarge the 15 sight opening at the level of the eyes in a lateral direction.

Guard bars are shown at 9 located respectively above and below the sight opening A. These bars are formed of light metal and specifically 20 stated they are composed of duralumin. They are formed by casting and are provided with foot portions as which are secured to the sheet metal foundation plate, preferably by rivets H. These rivets have rounded heads exposed on the 25 front of the mask and their beaded inner ends are countersunk in the sheet metal plate.

The rivets pass through the holes l2 adjacent the projections 3 at the inner margins of the plate. These projections 3 afford supports 80 for the foot portions of the guard bars.

Each guard bar is of arched formation, curving from the foot portions forwardly, the high part of the arch being in the plane of the vertical center line of the mask. Each guard bar near its foot portion is shouldered as at l3, said shoulder bearing onthe inner edge of the foundation plate. This shoulder in large measure sustains the shock resulting from the ball striking the guard bar and relieves the rivets of considerable strain.

The guard bars are considerably thicker than the sheet metal foundation plate, and are cast in a shape to sustain the blows to a maximum degree.

In cross section they are of the shape indicated at M, the major axis of their cross sectional formation extending from front to rear, thus being thicker in the direction of impact of the ball.

Each guard bar is provided with a brace bar l5 cast integral therewith and having a wide foot portion l6 riveted to foundation plate, the brace for the upper bar being secured to the crown or brow of the foundation plate and that for the lower guard bar being secured to the chin guard or bar. Each of these braces is shouldered on its inner side adjacent its foot portion to bear on the inner edge of the foundation plate for sustaining the strain consequent upon the impact of the ball upon the guard bar. The guards according to the above description have each a three point connection with the foundation plate. All the arms of said guards, including those of the main arch portion or the braces incline rearwardly away from the high part of the arch, thus to better absorb the strain of the impact of the ball.

As indicated in Fig. '7 the rearward slope of the crown and chin portions of the foundation plate may be at the same angle to a vertical plane and the seats on the foundation plate for the corresponding foot portions of the guards may be alike so that the guards are interchangeable, either one being attachable to either the upper or to the lower part of the foundation plate. This feature may be embodied in all forms of the mask illustrated.

While the whole frame work is made of material light in weight, I have provided a construction by which those portions which receive the impact of the ball are made much thicker than the foundation sheet metal portion. The guard bars can be cast of any desired cross sectional shape and size, which may be determined upon as being best for the purpose.

If either guard becomes damaged it can be renewed by severing the heads of the rivets from the rivet shanks and then riveting a new guard onto the foundation plate.

The metal of the base comes from the mill in sheet form made by a rolling operation, so that the frame work as finally made up consists of a foundation plate cut and pressed to shape from a, rolled sheet metal plate and guard bars and braces formed of cast metal secured to the sheet metal base by any suitable fastening means.

The sheet metal foundation plate may be provided with corrugations to strengthen it at any points that may be desired.

It will be noticed that the harness at both the crown portion and the chin portion of the mask is split as at a: to straddle the braces which extend from the arched guard bars to the foundation plate. The ends of the guard bars also serve to retain in position those portions of the harness which embrace the foundation plate at these points.

I claim:

1. A baseball mask comprising a sheet metal foundation plate with crown, chin guard, and side portions framing a central opening, a pair of separately formed guard bars of arched form extending across the opening within the foundation plate and secured at their ends to the outer surface of the foundation plate, each guard bar having a brace extending therefrom at the center of the arch, the brace of the upper guard bar extending upwardly and secured to the outer surface of the crown of the foundation plate, and the brace of the lower guard bar extending downwardly and being secured to the outer surface of the chin guard portion of the foundation plate, each of said brace bars inclining rearwardly from the arch to the foundation plate, substantially as described.

2. A baseball mask according to claim 1 in which the guard bars with their attached braces are identical in construction and separable from the foundation plate and interchangeable in respect to each other as to their position on the foundation plate.

3. A baseball mask comprising a base plate, a separately formed arched guard bar, means for fastening the bar to the plate, said bar having a brace arranged in the central vertical plane of the mask, a pad, and harness securing the pad to the base plate, said harness being split to lie on opposite sides of the brace, and being centered in position thereby.

4. A baseball mask comprising a base plate having an open center, a guard extending across said opening, means for securing the ends of the guard to the base plate, said guard having shoulders near its ends on the inner side thereof bearing on the edge of the plate, the said ends of the guard bar bearing on the outer face of the base plate.

5. A baseball mask according to claim 4 in which said guard has a brace portion extending at right angles thereto and adapted to lie in the central vertical plane of the mask, said brace portion having a shoulder near its end at the inner side thereof to bear on the edge of the base plate, the end of the brace portion bearing on the outer face of the base plate, the guard bar thereby having a three point shouldered engagement with the inner edge and face of the base plate.

6. A baseball mask comprising a foundation member of sheet metal having an opening therein for visibility and ventilation, and guards consisting of rigid arch-shaped bars having rounded front contact surfaces, said guard bars being thicker than the sheet metal foundation and extending across the said opening to guard the face of the user, and said guard bars being of substantially oblong shape in cross-section with the major axis thereof disposed substantially at right angles to the general plane in which the foundation plate extends, and means for attaching the said bars to the sheet metal foundation plate, substantially as described.

THOMAS S. SHIBE. 

